Aumento en el acervo geotécnico de los constructores de hipogeos entre los Reinos Antiguo y Medio (Necrópolis Qubbet el-Hawa, Asuán)

Juan Antonio Martínez Hermoso; Israel García Mellado; Mario Sánchez Gómez

doi:10.21701/bolgeomin/135.1/004

Authors

Juan Antonio Martínez Hermoso Universidad de Jaén
Israel García Mellado IGEA Consultoría y Laboratorio SLL
Mario Sánchez Gómez Universidad de Jaén

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin/135.1/004

Keywords:

Joint, Ancient Egyptian architecture, Rock-cut tomb, Slide, Slope stability, Rock Mechanics

Abstract

The hill of Qubbet el-Hawa was the site chosen for the cemetery of the high officials of the southernmost province of Ancient Egypt, from the end of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom. To date, around a hundred tombs excavated in the rock have been discovered in the middle of the hillside, distributed throughout several superimposed terraces. From the geological/geotechnical study it was the best possible location, in a section where sandstone predominates, delimited by two especially resistant strata that serve as the floor and roof of the hypogea, which in principle guaranteed their stability. In this article we analyze two representative tombs from the two most important periods of the cemetery: QH34h (Sixth Dynasty) and QH33 (Twelfth Dynasty), built with a time difference of about 400 years. From the fracturing study and the analysis of the geological stability in these tombs, we verified that the most modern (QH33), compared to the oldest (QH34h), presents construction and design innovations that solved the stability problems
that some of the oldest tombs presented. the oldest graves. This study shows that, firstly, the choice of the location of the tombs was made based on the resistant nature of the strata, secondly, that the construction methods used by the ancient Egyptians were conditioned by the geology of the hill and, thirdly that, as a result of the experience acquired over the years, the design of the tombs evolved to solve the stability problems of the rock mass.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Arnold, D. (1991). Building in Egypt. Pharaonic Stone Masonry. Oxford University Press, New York, 316 pp. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195063509.003.0005

Arnold, D. (2003). The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., London, 274 pp.

Badawy, A. (1966). A History of Egyptian Architecture. The First Intermediate Period, the Middle Kingdom, and the Second Intermediate Period. University of California Press, Bekerley and Los Angeles, 272 pp.

Barba Colmenero, V., Martínez Hermoso, J. A., Mozas Calvache, A. T., Pérez García, J. L., and Jiménez Serrano, A. (2022). From tomb to church. Archaeological and architectural analysis of the Old Kingdom funerary complex (QH34h) and its transformation into a Byzantine Christian church in the Necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt). Arqueología de la Arquitectura 19.

Bárta, M. (2005). Architectural Innovations in the Development of the Non-Royal Tomb During the Reign of Nyuserra. In: Structure and Significance Thoughts on Ancient Egyptian Architecture, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien, 105-130.

Bolshakov, A. O. (1997). Man and his double in Egyptian Ideology of the Old Kingdom. Ägypten und Altes Testament. Studien zu Geschichte. Kultur und Religion Ágyptens und des Alten Testaments, Band 37. Harrassowitz Verlang-Wiesbaden in Kommission, 336 pp.

Butzer, K. W., and Hansen, C. L. (1968). Desert and River in Nubia. Geomorphology and Prehistoric Environments at the Aswan Reservoir. The University of Wiscosin Press. Madison, Milwaukee, and London, 562 pp.

Clarke, S., and Engelbach, R. (1990). Ancient Egyptian Construction and Architecture. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 242 pp.

De Pedraza Gilsanz, J. (1996). Geomorfología. Principios, Métodos y Aplicaciones. Rueda, Madrid, 414 pp.

Degryse, P., Storemyr, P., and Hedal, T. (2007). Notes on iron ore mining and smelting, and clay extraction at the West Bank of Aswan. In: N. Abu-Jaber, E., Bloxan, P., Degryse and T. Hedal (eds.), QuarryScapes Report. Characterisation of complex quarry landscapes: an example from the West Bank quarries, Aswan. Work Package 4, Deliverable No. 4, 141-149.

Dodson, A. (1991). Egyptian rock-cut tombs. Shire Publications Ltd., London, 64 pp.

Dodson, A., and Ikram, S. (2008). The Tomb in Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson Ltd, London, 367 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4425-0_8901

Edel, E., Seyfried, K. J., and Vieler, G. (2008). Die Felsgräbernekropole der Qubbet el-Hawa bei Assuan. I. Abteilung. Architekture, Darstellungen, Texte, archäologischer Befund und Funde. Ferdinand Schöningh, München, 2072 pp. https://doi.org/10.30965/9783657763436

Edwards, I. E. S. (1993). The Pyramids of Egypt. Penguin (Archaeology), London, 352 pp.

Firth, C. M., and Gunn, B. (1926). Excavations at Saqqara. Teti Pyramid Cementeries. Vol. I Text, Vol. II Plates. Imprimerie de L'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Le Caire, 288 pp.

Giedion, S. (1981). El presente eterno: Los comienzos de la arquitectura. Alianza Forma, Madrid, 495 pp.

González de Vallejo, L., Ferrer, M., Ortuño, L., and Oteo, C. (2002). Ingeniería Geológica. Pearson Educación. Madrid, 715 pp.

Gutiérrez Elorza, M. (2008). Geomorfología. Pearson Educación. Madrid, 898 pp.

Jiménez Salas, J. A., and de Justo Alpañés, J. L. (1975). Geotecnia y Cimientos I. Mecánica de suelo y de las rocas. Rueda. 2ª Edición. Madrid, 466 pp.

Jiménez Serrano, A. (2013). "Los nobles de la VI Dinastía enterrados en Qubbet el-Hawa". In: Agud, A., Cantera, A., Falero, R., El Hour, M.A., Manzano, R., Muñoz, and Yildiz, E. (eds.): Séptimo Centenario de los Estudios Orientales en Salamanca (Estudios Filológicos 337), Salamanca: 29-37.

Jiménez Serrano, A., Martínez de Dios, J. L., Valenti Costales, M., Vivas Fernández, F., De la Torre Robles, Y., and Anguita Ordóñez, J. M. (2009): Proyecto Qubbet el-Hawa: Las tumbas nº 33, 34 y 34h. Segunda campaña (2009). BAEDE 19, 41-75.

Jiménez Serrano, A., Alemán Aguilera, I., Botella López, M., Cardelll Fernández, C., Martínez de Dios, J. L., Medina Sánchez, M. C., Mellado García, I., Prado Campos, B., Torrallas Tovar, S., De la Torre Robles, Y., and Valenti Costales, M. (2010). Proyecto Qubbet el-Hawa: Las tumbas nº 33, 34 y 34h. Tercera campaña (2010). BAEDE 20, 65-97.

Jiménez Serrano, A., Alemán Aguilera, I., Ayora Cañada, M. J., Botella López, M., Domínguez Vidal, A., Piquette, K. E., Rodríguez Ariza, M. O., Sáenz Pérez, M. P., Martínez de Dios, J. L., Alba Gómez, J. M., De la Torre Robles, Y., Martínez Hermoso, F., Martínez Hermoso, J. A., López-Obregón Silvestre, T., and Calero García, C. (2014). Proyecto Qubbet el-Hawa: Las tumbas 33, 34aa y QH34bb. Sexta campaña (2014). BAEDE 23, 7-48.

Jiménez Serrano, A., Alba Gómez, J. M., Martínez de Dios, J. L., De la Torre Robles, Y., García González, L. M., Barba Colmenero, V., Caño Dortéz, A., Espejo, A. M., Bardonova, M., López Grande, M. J., Díaz Blanco, A., Correas Amador, M., Pérez Navazo, D., Domínguez Vidal, A., Ayora Cañada, M. J., Eschenbrenner, G., Botella López, M., Alemán Aguilera, I., Rubio Salvador, Á., Guimarey Duarte, R., Rodríguez Ariza, O., Montes Moya, E., Martínez Hermoso, J. A., Pérez García, J. L., Mozas Calvache, A., López-Obregón Silvestre, T., Tapia Ruano-Juan, S., Hernández Sánchez, R., Molinero Reyes, J. F., Krutzsch, M., and Hakin Karrar, A. (2018). Proyecto Qubbet el-Hawa: primeros resultados de los trabajos llevados a cabo en las tumbas QH32, QH33, QH34bb, QH35n, QH35p y QH36 durante la décima campaña (2018). BAEDE 27, 13-110.

Heldal, T., and Storemyr, P. (2007). The quarries at the Aswan West Bank. In: N. Abu-Jaber, E., Bloxan, P., Degryse, and T. Hedal (eds.), QuarryScapes Report. Characterisation of complex quarry landscapes: an example from the West Bank quarries, Aswan. Work Package 4, Deliverable No. 4, 69-140.

Heldal, T., BØE, R., and Müller, A. (2007). Geology and stone resources of the Aswan West Bank. In: N. Abu-Jaber, E., Bloxan, P., Degryse, and T. Hedal (eds.), QuarryScapes Report. Characterisation of complex quarry landscapes: an example from the West Bank quarries, Aswan. Work Package 4, Deliverable No. 4, 51-68.

Hornung, E., Krauss, R., and Warburton, D. A. (2006). Ancient Egyptian Chronology. Boston: Brill, Leiden, 532 pp. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047404002

Klemm, R., and Klemm, D. (1993). Steine und Steinbrüche im Alten Ägypten, Springer-Verl. Heidelberg, 465 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77027-2

Klitzsch, E. (1990). Paleogeographical development and correlation of continental strata (former Nubian Sandstone) in Northeast Africa. Journal of African Herat Sciences, 10(1-2), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0899-5362(90)90055-J

Lauer, J. P. (1988). Le mystère des pyramides. París: Presses de la Cité, 267 pp.

López Marinas, J. M. (2002). Geología aplicada a la ingeniería civil. 2ª Edición. Cie Dossat 2002, Madrid, 564 pp.

Maragioglio, C. A., and Rinaldi, V. (1965). L›Architettura delle Piramidi Menfite 4. Le Grande Piramide di Cheope. Tavole. Martínez Hermoso, J. A. (2022). Qubbet el-Hawa en el Reino Medio: Arquitectura y Construcción, UJA Editorial, Jaén, 390 pp.

Martínez Hermoso, J. A., Mellado García, I., Martínez de Dios, J. L., Martínez Hermoso, F., Espejo Jiménez, A. M., and Jiménez Serrano, A. (2017). The construction of the Funerary Set QH31 (Sarenput II) - QH33. Part I: The exterior of the funerary complexes, JAEA, Vol.3 (2018), 25-44.

Martínez Hermoso, J. A., Ayora Cañada, M. J., and Domínguez Vidal, A. (2020). Elementos arquitectónicos de la capilla funeraria de Sarenput II (QH31) en Qubbet-el-Hawa. Caracterización geoquímica". TdE, 10-11, 227-240. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.TdE.2019.10.13

Müller, H. W. (1940). Die Felsengräber der Fürsten von Elephantine aus der Zeit des Mittleren Reiches. Glückstadt-Hamburg-New York: Verlag J. J. Augustin, 118 [49] pp.

Sáenz Pérez, M. P., and García Ruíz, L. M. (2019). Modelado y análisis estructural de la tumba de Khunes (QH34h) en Qubbet el-Hawa. Determinación de las condiciones de estabilidad, TdE 10, 359-371. https://doi.org/10.25145/j.TdE.2019.10.20

Said, R. (ed.) (1990). The Geology of Egypt. A.A. Balkema. Rotterdam, 729 pp.

Stadelmann, R. (1990). Die Ägyptischen Pyramiden. Vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder. Mainz, 313 pp.

Storemyr, P. (2007). Outline of the geography and environmental history of the West Bank at Aswan. In: N. Abu-Jaber, E., Bloxan, P., Degryse, and T. Hedal (eds.), QuarryScapes Report. Characterisation of complex quarry landscapes: an example from the West Bank quarries, Aswan. Work Package 4, Deliverable No. 4, 9-20.

Vieler, G. (2011). Die Qubbet el-Hawa bei Assuan: Entdeckung und Architektur einer elitären Nekropole an Ägyptens Südgrenze/ The Qubbet el-Hawa bear Assuan. Discovery and architecture of an élite necropolis on Egypt's southern border. In: L.D. Morenz et al. (eds), Zwischen den Welten. Grabfunde von Ägyptens Südgrenze/Between Worlds. Finds from tombs on Egypt's southern border. Rahden, 97-121.

Yassein, M. (2006). Geological exploration for the Friendship, East Aswan, Egypt. IAEG 2006, 707. 1-3.